Foundation Art & Design at Camberwell?

I have also been offered a place at CCW foundation and have accepted (though may have to decline later ) but the costs for central london are crazy £9k or more - i live out of London.

D you know if there is acceptable accommodation locally other than the student halls?

How are you planning to raise the ££££'s?

Like you Im looking for advice from someone who has done the course...

Same 3 but going for camberwell ones first as friend on first year degree there said social scene is in camberwell so less travelling at night

does anyone know how many people are going to be on the foundation course next year?

I've just finished my foundation at Camberwell and had the same concerns raised here before I started on the foundation and moved to the area (I opted for bernard myers) and personally I think if you're just moving into London and going to Camberwell, bernard is brilliant, slightly ridiculous rent aside. I read some worrying things about bricks through the windows etc before getting here and obviously if you're not used to this part of London it takes some adjustment, but being a five minute walk from our studios means you dont have to worry about lugging heavy portfolios on busses and it's a only a little walk if you want to stay late in the library or the studio (I think our studios were open until 8pm as long as you werent alone in there.) plus the halls themselves are pretty nice, we have 3/4 sized beds which means you can easily share the bed, three definitely fit if you have reasonably proportioned friends/lovers/lodgers. obviously it's not always wise to be around on your own at night but the 343 bus goes almost to the door of the halls, and seeing as so many people here do go to camberwell I've never felt like I'm stranded or unsafe, and all my flat mates have been really great. plus we have a curved kitchen/sitting area where the windows open right out and you can see over london! it's grand and really cosy in winter. (having said that, there are sometimes mice around, but they're really quite nice when you look at their little faces.)

as for the foundation itself, I'm sure people have very different experiences but it teaches you to be self motivated more than anything, and that's never a bad thing. I don't know how much the course will change next year, but it did feel like a large year, especially as my specialism was illustration and packed with people. in the end I found that having that number of people coming in for crits with work that was so varied and exciting was far more encouraging than being a negative aspect of the foundation. if you're not working at camberwell I think it's quite easy to slip under the radar and happily slack off, nobody is really going to question you or push you to be there more or do more, but when you are working and discussing your work with your tutors, (although sometimes you have to plan ahead to get face time with them) then I found them so so helpful and encouraging. as long as you're personally engaged with the projects and you really care about what you're doing there, I think the guidance and support is available if you're persistent in harassing your tutors. I wouldn't assume you wont 'warm to the place' at all, in your individual groups it can be pretty homely at times. hope that's helped a little!

woowww... 750?? i heard there was around 400!!

I've been given an offer from oxford brookes and i'm split between that and camberwell, i'd probably go for brookes seeing as there's only 100 on the course...

Hey, I just finished a foundation course at Camberwell specialising in Fashion. I lived at home so cannot really comment on the accommodation, however- the halls i visited were perfectly acceptable and like any other university halls - quite small and lacking in character. Its up to those who live there at the time to decide on cleanliness and the general atmosphere really. The course itself was good, it opens your eyes to different approaches...sometimes you may feel like you havent learned anything relevant but the course is about breaking down you preceptions so you can build your work / ideas up without having any prior blocks. We had use of the studios from 8am-8pm, although a "normal" day is 1015-430. The studio week was Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. In part one of the course [from september untill you specialise in november] Friday was gallery visits- go to all of them they are interesting. In part two Wednesday is cinema day - unless you like wierd low budget arty movies that make little or no sense i wouldnt bother. Teachers really push you to find what makes you tick- they will not give you the answer ! They will encourage and question your ideas constantly. I would recomend going to every crit session- they are invaluable. Lectures are once a week for about an hour- some are interesting but after a few weeks you generally stop bothering because everything said in them is updated on blackboard afterwoods...they literally read you slides in the lecture hall... Canteen food is edible but tastless, Cafe culture across the road food is nice but please look out for hairs in it!!! The chefs dont tie their hair up and it will happen to you at least once. Area wise i did not spend anytime in the area, there are quite a few crackheads wandering around who will ask you for money- best to just walk on by...but yeah hope this helps =]